Manual coupler for writing instruments

ABSTRACT

A COUPLING ADAPTED T FLEXIBILY CONNECT A WRITING INSTRUMENT TO A PERSON&#39;&#39;S HAND, THEREBY TO HAVE A REMOTE POSITION WHERE IT IS IMMEDIATELY ASSESSIBLE AND IN A TACTILE POSITION WHERE IT IS MANIPULATABLE. THE COUPLING IS PREFERABLY A ONE PIECE DEVICE HAVING HINGED AND THEREBY RELATIVELY MOVABLE BODIES, ONE BODY RELEASBLY ENGAGEABLE WITH A FINGER OF THE HAND AND THE OTHER RELEASABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE WRITING INSTRUMENT. IN THE FIRST MENTIONED POSITION THE WRITING INSTRUMENT IS HELD CLEAR OF AND PARRALLEL TO THE FINGER TO WHICH IT IS CONNECTED, THE INDEX FINGER; AND IN THE SECOND MENTIONED POSITION THE WRITING INSTRUMENT IS DEXTEROUSLY MANIPULATIVE BETWEEN THE TACTILE TIPS OF THE THUMB AND ONE OR MORE ADJACENTLY PLACED AND OPPOSED FINGERS.

May 30, 1972 w. J. LIPKOWSKI MANUAL COUPLER FOR WRITING INSTRUMENTS Filed Jan. 14, 1970 United States Patent 3,666,372 MANUAL COUPLER FOR WRITING INSTRUMENTS William J. Lipkowski, 1736 253rd St., Lomita, Calif. 90717 Filed Jan. 14, 1970, Ser. No. 2,740

Int. Cl. B43k 23/00 US. Cl. 401-8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coupling adapted to flexibly connect a writing instrument to a persons hand, thereby to have a remote position where it is immediately accessible and in a tactile position where it is manipulatable. The coupling is preferably a one piece device having hinged and thereby relatively movable bodies, one body releasably engageable with a finger of the hand and the other releasably engageable with the writing instrument. In the first mentioned position the writing instrument is held clear of and parallel to the finger to which it is connected, the index finger; and in the second mentioned position the writing instrument is dexterously manipulatable between the tactile tips of the thumb and one or more adjacently placed and opposed fingers.

The use of writing instruments in the form of pencils and pens is universal and such instruments are more or less standarized in cross section and in length, although variations do occur. However, in the course of business and all normal pursuits the proportions and general configurations of pencils and pens are uniform, and it is the common pencil or like pen which is the subject herein involved, and which are used by many persons as a necessary adjunct to work, as in the business of accounting and/ or writing or any subject where writing and drawing is a requirement. Needless to say, there are such occupations which require the continued intermittent use of pencils and pens, said use being interrupted by attention to other matters. For example, an accountant must operate various accounting machines and must handle various papers etc., all by and requiring the free use of his hands. It is during these interim occupation duties that the writing instrument is usually laid aside, requiring its retrieval, and all of which involves the expenditure and wasted time and in some instances breakage and/or misplacement of said writing instrument.

Therefore and in accordance with this invention I provide a coupler for the releasable attachment of a writing instrument to the hand of the user, to have an out-ofuse and an in-use positioning; the instrument being carried by the persons hand to be ever-present and readily drawable into tactile positioning for dexterous manipulation.

An object of this invention is to provide a coupler of the character hereinabove referred to that is comfortably applicable to the hand of a person and which does not adversely encumber the hand; the writing instrument being flexibly carried to move from a retracted position to an operative position where it is manipulatable into omni dispositions or alignments.

Another object of this invention is to provide a manual coupler for writing instruments that is readily manufactured, preferably of a single body of flexible material, so as to wear well on a persons hand without discomfort and so as to adjacently accommodate the writing instrument to any tactile finger hold that may be applied.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a device for the presentation of advertising media, the nature of the device being subject as to unobtrusively display marks, names, symbols and/or any like devices.

The various objects and features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the typical preferred form and application thereof, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the coupler of the present invention holding a writing instrument in an elevated remote position.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the coupler holding the writing instrument in a depressed tactile position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the coupler.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are end views of the coupler showing the inter-body action that takes place as and when the writing instrument is worked between the two aforementioned positions.

The article of manufacture herein disclosed is a manual coupler for writing instruments, in that it releasably attaches the writing instrument P to a persons hand H where it is in readiness for use as circumstances require. By so doing, the coupler renders the writing instrument conveniently accessible for use, and all without encumbering the persons hand, That is, complex and/or handcrippling encumbrances are avoided, while natural motions and manipulations of the hand are permitted. To these ends therefore, the article coupler involves generally, integral bodies A and B connected by a flexible joint C also integral with said bodies, and all of which is preferably molded or extracted or otherwise formed of a substantially pliant and/or bendable plastic material such as Delrin or any such flexible plastic having substantial rigidity combined with flexibility and memory properties. Such a plastic material has sufficient rigidity when in its preformed shape to embrace both a persons finger and the writing instrument with gentle but suflicient connecting pressured and consequent frictional engagement so as to assure the attachment required. Alternately, the bodies A and B can be separately manufactured and interconnected by suitable hinges that permits the articulated movement of the writing instrument that is engaged all as hereinafter described.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated throughout the drawings an appendage is added to a persons hand H, so to speak, by employing the coupler which is engaged with the index finger 10 to embrace the phalange adjacent to the palm. In its precision form the coupler is either right or left handed, the former being shown; it being understood that it is possible to wear the coupler upon the opposite hand from that which is intended, but less perfectly. As shown, the right hand H has the index finger 10 with a tactile tipe 11 movable into position to the tactile tip 13 of the thumb 12 or in opposition to the remaining three fingers and usually for example to the middle finger :14. There are of course various ways in which a pencil or pen is held, and the usually accepted hold upon the pencil or pen P is to place it onto the inside of the middle or third finger 14 by means of pressure applied by the tactile tips 11 and 13 that are opposed with the pencil or pen. body therebetween. This normal hold upon the pencil or pen is that which is universally taught and employed and which promotes good penmanship and which is accepted as the natural hold conducive to comfort. And it is into this natural position that the pencil or pen P is drawn for manipulation, and as shown in FIG. 2 the flexible joint C has permitted the instrument body B to rotate relative to the body A for depression of the pencil or pen into a manipulatable position, the in-use posititon. In FIG. 1 the flexible joint C has returned the instrument body B to its initial retracted out-of-use position.

The finger body A is preferably of caliper cross section and of a circumferential extent to more than half embrace a persons finger 10. Thus, the body A is semitubular and has inner and outer diameter walls 20' and 21 interrupted by an opening 22 along one side thereof. The Walls 21 and 21 establish a substantially uniform body thickness therebetween, the body being of substantial length somewhat in excess of its diameter. Since the plastic material from which the body A is made has resilience or memory, it will deflect and thereby expand over the said phalange of the index finger and will constrict thereon. It is a simple matter to appropriately size the inside diameter 20 of the body A to gently constrict onto the finger to have a secure engagement thereon but free to frictionally slide longitudinally and to revolve circumferentially thereon, as may be required from time to time.

The instrument body B is also preferably of caliper cross section and of a circumferential extent to more than half embrace the body of the writing instrument P. Thus, the body B is semi-tubular and has inner and outer di ameter walls 30 and 31 interrupted by an opening 32 along one side thereof. The walls 30 and 31 establish a substantially uniform body thickness, the body B being of substantially smaller configuration than that of the body A, and considerably shorter in longitudinal extent. It is a simple matter to appropriately size the inside diameter 30 of the body B to firmly constrict onto the body of the writing instrument so that it can be adjusted, since it is free to frictionally slide and rotate within the coupler body B.

The flexible joint C connects the bodies A and B and the initial formation of the parts holds the axes of the two bodies spaced and preferably parallel. Again, it is the resilience and/or memory of the integral body mate rial that is relied upon for return to said initial formation, the one and same material briding between the bodies A and B through the joint C. However, the material forming the A, B and C elements is somewhat rigid and sufliciently so to retain its molded configuration and to return thereto after deformation; and to this end the joint C involves a relatively thin strap or web 25 of said body material that extends therebetween respectively. In accordance with the invention, the web 25 is disposed in a transverse plane substantially coincidental to the plane of the palm of the hand H when the finger 10 is pointed in said plane, and consequently the plane of web 25 is parallel with the two body axes (A and B). In practice, the Web 25 projects from the lower perimeter of body A and extends into the lower perimeter of the body B. Thus, the body B is placed alongside the body A toward the thumb, but spaced from the body A and attached thereto only through the said joint C.

According to the foregoing, controlled and directional depression of the body B and pencil or pen P is determined by the mode of joinder, of the flexible joint C and bodies A and B. As shown, the lower perimeter 26 of the body B is flattened and extends rearwardly into the web 25 that extends adjacently into the side of the body A. In this manner the hinge web 25 is free to bend easily along one or more hinge lines and as is shown, along a transverse hinge line a and along a longitudinal hinge line b, thereby permitting the body B and pencil or pen P to be flexibly depressed. The transverse hinge line permits a turned-down movement of the writing instrument P and prevents lateral revolvement, while the longitudinal hinge line b permits a turned-in movement of the writing instrument P. The location of hinge line b, laterally ofiset from the body B causes the said body to revolve depressibly as illustrated in FIG. 4, which movement in combination with the movement shown in FIG. 2 results in an inward and downward movement and a consequent lateral revolvement, a compounded movement that facilitates normal manipulation of the writing instrument P.

Stop means is provided to limit the retractability of the body B and the writing instrument embraced therein, and so that said writing instrument is controllably limited to an elevated position parallel with the index finger 10. However, the body B and embraced writing instrument are free to be drawn downwardly and thereby depressed into a working position. As shown, the cross sectional configuration of the body B is considerably smaller in diameter than that of the body A, said body B being located along the lower portion of body A to have side overlapped engagement. That is, the outer peripheries of the two *bodies tangentially engage intermediate their center lines and thereby limit upward movement of the body B relative to body A (unless forced to deform the flexible joint C). Thus, the writing instrument cannot be raised higher than an axis parallel with the index finger at said first phalange thereof, leaving the two remaining phalanges of said finger free and clear.

A display means is provided and preferably establishes a flat upper side of the body A. It will be apparent that advertising or any actual display can be presented upon the upper side of the body A, as shown.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this manual coupler is a simple one piece construction that provides a definite rule of action wherein a writing instrument is attached to a persons hand via the index finger. With the pencil or pen P inserted frictionally in the body B and with the body A embraced over the first phalange of the index finger 10 and with the article coupler in its initial form, undeflected; the said writing instrument is held in an elevated and/or retracted out-of-use position. It is then a simple matter to lift one thumb to engage over the foremost end of the pencil or pen P and to depress the same into engagement with the other fingers of the hand H, whereupon the usual and normal grip and/0r hold is readily established and the manipulation thereof con ducted. Upon release from the thumb and fingers, the body B and writing instrument springs back to the initial out-of-use position, where it is retracted suflicientely to permit other uses of the persons hand. It will be observed that the opening 32 along the side of the instrument body B accommodates the clip 33 which is universally provided on and which extends longitudinally of the pen P, all without restricting longitudinal adjustments.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A coupling for attaching a writing instrument to a. persons hand, said writing instrument having an elongated body with a writing point at its foremost end, and including:

a first body releasably embracing a finger of the hand so as to be afiixed thereto,

a second body releasably embracing the elongated body of the writing instrument so as to be secured therewith,

and a flexible joint connecting the first and second bodies, and comprising a flat web of flexible resilient material extending in a transverse plane between said bodies and substantially coincidental with the palm of the hand and connecting the first and second bodies, said web having a transverse hinge line normal to both said bodies provided by joining the forward edge of said web to the second body adjacent the lower perimeter thereof,

whereby said second body is movable relative to said first body on said hinge line and the foremost end of the writing instrument is thereby depressible to be manipulated between the tactile ends of the fingers of said hand.

2. The coupling for attaching a writing instrument to a personss hand as set forth in claim 1, wherein the flexible joint of resilient material has a longitudinal hinge line parallel to both said bodies and along which it is deflected for compound depressive and inward movement of the foremost end of the writing instrument.

3. The coupling for attaching a writing instrument to a persons hand as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second bodies are also of flexible resilient material and integral one with the other, the first body being of semi-tubular caliper cross section to embrace said finger of the hand, and the second body being of semi-tubular caliper cross section to embrace the body of said writing instrument.

4. The coupling for attaching a writing innstroment to a persons hand as set forth in claim 1, wherein the flexible joint of resilient material has a longithdinal hinge line parallel to both said bodies and along which it is deflected for compound depressive and inward movement of the foremost end of the writing instrument, wherein the first and second bodies are also of flexible and resilient material and integral one with the other, the first body being of semi-tubular caliper cross section to embrace said finger of the hand, and the second body being of semi-tubular caliper cross section to embrace the body of the writing instrument.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

